Archive for December, 2010

Processed using NIK HDR Efex Pro

I took this image of a friend/neighbor late Wednesday afternoon. This is based on three images, using auto exposure bracketing camera setting, with a +/- 2 exposure bracket, aperture priority mode selection. After the HDR image was derived, I took it into Photoshop and lightened the image using the curves adjustment layer. I then opened NIK Vivenza, set a control point on the face and lightened the face. A couple of things to note. One, look at the upper left and notice the clouds. It is the under exposure of one of the images that brings out the details. The setting sun is behind the house. The second thing to note is the waving hand. It turns out okay for this photo but a general rule of thumb when trying to use HDR for people is that the subject should be as still as possible. Movement will show up in the composite image. In moving water and surf, the results will be somewhat blurred as well.

… back to a functional state! For some reason the design team had great difficulty in finding the problem that prevented notifications of new posts being sent out to the subscribers list. 

I am including two photos I took this past Friday. The first photo is a Tri-color Heron that was feeding. Yep. It did catch and eat a fish. It didn’t seem to mind that I was there taking photos during dinner. I was on the Gator Creek Drive, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. 

Tri-color Heron Feeding

Canon EOS-7D, Canon 500mm f/4 lens, aperture priority, f/8, 0 exposure comp.,

ISO auto, shutter speed 1/640

The second photo I am including is that of Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133 at the launch pad. NASA was performing a tanking test on the external tank so the rotating service structure was rolled back providing a view of all of the flight elements. Much to my dismay, there was a large shadow covering the orbiter. To try to salvage an image I used the High Dynamic Range technique to combine three images at different exposue levles to come up with one image. I applied a software affect and applied a sepia tone to it to come up with the image below.

STS-133 at the launch pad for a tanking test

High Dynamic Range image processed with Nik Efex HDR Pro

I hope you all have a safe and joyous holiday season. I pray for each of you that 2011 brings many blessings and a year filled with happiness. Be sure to take the time to enjoy nature and the outdoors. Be sure to notice the small things that we usually pass by in our hectic daily travels.

Jim

Ring neck ducks and a single canvas back duck are reported at the Viera Wetlands (Viera, Fl). Also, yesterday, two tundra swans were sighted and photographed in the Indian River east of Titusville, Fl. The swans were about 100 yards off the bank of the Peacock Pocket/Gator Creek dive. This area is part of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Two snow geese have been sighted over the last couple of weeks flying toward or near Peacock’s Pocket.

It is still cold in east central Florida. Freezing temperatures again this morning. Tomorrow morning the temps are forecast to be just above the freezing mark but the afternoon temps should warm into the 60s.

…. right in my back yard! I live on a storm water retention pond. The developer called it a lake. It is 5 1/2 acres and it does support quite a few birds. We usually have Black Bellied Whistling Ducks throughout the year. I would estimate we have about 100 right now. We also have a family of 7 Mottled Ducks, though today I thought there were an additional 5 of them for a total of 12. We usually have White Ibis’s too. Currently we have probably 30 of them. Today I also saw a Snowy Egret, a Great Blue Heron, and two Grebe’s. The big news of the day is that five Lesser Scaups were swimming around the lake this morning! This is a first for our own Hickory Lake. It is ironic that I have been driving the wildlife refuge trying to photograph ducks and they show up right in my own back yard (or lake). Go figure.

Taking a Dive

Lesser Scaup Drake

Lesser Scaup Pair

There were 4 drakes and one female in the group.

We had a great time at the Cocoa Village Arts and Crafts Event this past weekend. Thanks to all of you who stopped and said hello. I do have desk Calendar Year 2011 desk top and wall calendars for sale. The desktop ones are $7.50. The wall calendars are 12.50. Please contact me if you are interested.

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